Valve adjustment - more lessons learned

GearheadGrrrl

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Actually it's been nice of Long Haul Paul to be the "guinea pig" for us and test the S10s durability. It's been nice too of Yamaha to donate a couple bikes for his fundraising. But as one of the at least two people with MS riding S10s with sidecars, I hope Yamaha doesn't try to use our sidecars as an excuse to reject any extended warranty claims. So far at 50k miles and 4 years nothings broke on my S10, knock on wood...
 

tntmo

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Actually it's been nice of Long Haul Paul to be the "guinea pig" for us and test the S10s durability. It's been nice too of Yamaha to donate a couple bikes for his fundraising. But as one of the at least two people with MS riding S10s with sidecars, I hope Yamaha doesn't try to use our sidecars as an excuse to reject any extended warranty claims. So far at 50k miles and 4 years nothings broke on my S10, knock on wood...
Yeah, but have you had the valve check done? :)
 

SilverBullet

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...As Ive said before, why does he really care, he gets free bikes from Yamaha, free parts, and free service if it blows up. We might all have a different attitude if it's all free to us...
... It's been nice too of Yamaha to donate a couple bikes for his fundraising. ..
Nope, nope, nope

As I mentioned above, I was pretty sure Paul purchased both his Tenere's. So I just emailed Paul and he confirmed that he paid for both himself. Purchased his 2012 for msrp and his 2013 as a brand new leftover model at discount.

_
 

GearheadGrrrl

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Nope, nope, nope

As I mentioned above, I was pretty sure Paul purchased both his Tenere's. So I just emailed Paul and he confirmed that he paid for both himself. Purchased his 2012 for msrp and his 2013 as a brand new leftover model at discount.

_
OK, sounded like the second one was a gift for Yamaha.
 

Tenman

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Had mine checked at 24000 miles. All were in spec. They gave me a sheet with the clearances on it. Charged $450 2 years ago in Louisiana.
 

Longhaulpaul

Any Day You Can Ride is a Good Day!
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Hello there, just for the record, I rode the crap out of my two Teneres because I’m on the road at least 70,000 miles a year and I didn’t have the time or funds to maintain them according to the proper schedule.
Would they last longer if I did? Maybe. For me, It’s actually cheaper to replace a worn out bike every couple years then to pay over $10K a year in dealer maintenance. Riding through the winter my bikes are tools that rot from the outside in. I don’t think I’ve recommended one shouldn’t do the valve check, but I can say I did not do it on either of mine and it was never an issue.
Changed the oil every 5-10K, tires every 7500. Spark plugs and wipe out the throttle bodies when it ran like crap. A couple air filters, a bad coil or two from excessive rain riding, a clutch basket because I neglected the loud rattle for a few months.
The first bike has a stretched timing chain, otherwise was fine. The oil leaking at Barber was from the forks because they were over compressed when the shipping company delivered it.

The last day I rode it was a documented 2000 mile day.
Who would ride a bike with 170,000 miles on it 2,000 miles without even checking the oil before they took off? Probably only an idiot, but that’s how much I trusted the Tenere. Every day. That’s why I bought a second one, and it never skipped a beat for 18 months and 122,000 miles. I even washed it a couple of times.
I’m got limited time to finish what I started, not knowing if or when my disease will take away my ability to ride, walk or see.
I don’t Motorcycle for a hobby, it’s my career, the bike is a tool and gets used or abused every day and replaced on a regular basis. I do try to find the best tool I can, ones that will not need to be down for service any more than an hour a month for tires and oil changes. The Tenere was such a tool and just because I beat the shit out of two of them, doesn’t mean I recommend everyone else do it.
The Tenere has been the best dependable bike I have owned to date, and I have had 40+ street bikes. My first Tenere was donated to Barber while I still had 9 original payments left on it. The second one was purchased as a three year left over at a discount and I raffled it off this summer with 122,000 miles on it after Yamaha decided to support me with a Venture. My job is to beat the crap out of the new bike and show riders how durable and dependable it is.
It’s a tough job, but I’m doing my best.
 

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Longhaulpaul

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Yep, parked at Barber, I was recently there at looked it over... It looks like a wormed up piece of 'you know what'. Its been ridden hard and put away beat to crap. For the folks that have not seen his bike a Barber, its wasted. It has oil leaking out of several places on the bike. It has wet oil spots 'weeping' out of others. The bike has been beaten on. I think his cause is a noble one, and I'm really proud of the job he is doing and has done the promotion on two Tenere motorcycles. I somewhat saddened by things I have read that he has said about overall maintenance and not needing to do the valves Etc. To many people take what he says way to literally and think they have a 'pass' on not doing work to there bike. That is truly not the case.
As Ive said before, why does he really care, he gets free bikes from Yamaha, free parts, and free service if it blows up. We might all have a different attitude if it's all free to us.
Take it from me, Ive performed many valve checks on many Tenere engines, I would SUGGEST you put an eye on those valves.

172,000 miles in three years and you think Curechaser looks beat on? Of course it was beaten on! My bikes are daily riders. If it breaks, I roll it into the woods and get a new one. I know it gets some people’s panties all up in a bunch, but I use motorcycles as tools and replace them when they wear out. My goal is to get where I’m going and don’t care how pretty I look doing it. When you live every day with the unknowns of a progressive and often disabling disease, you dont have the luxury of Time. Not that I don’t care. I care, the bike needs to be dependable and safe. I don’t care if I’m losing a mile per gallon because the tire is 2 lbs too low or the air filter is dirty. It just needs to get me 1200 miles home.
Neither of my Teneres or the $30K I spent on average each of the last six years riding them for charity was provided by Yamaha or anyone else. No service, no free parts (with a couple of exceptions).
It took me five years and a lot of begging to finally get substantial support this summer in way of a donated bike. If you consider spending over $200,000 out of pocket to get where I am with Yamaha, I guess I’m guilty. I don’t work for Yamaha, nor receive a dime for anything I’ve done or do at Yamaha events.
When you see me sharing my story standing on my feet at a trade show for three days straight under Yamaha’s tent, please understand I’m there on my own dime raising awareness and funds for MS.

Sorry for the rant, but considering the extreme financial costs and struggles trying to continue riding this million mile journey for a cure has put on me and my family, it does bother me that people think I’m some how getting paid to ride or showered with all kinds of gifts.

As far as maintenance, I do have brain damage from my diseas but I don’t think I’ve ever said I don’t recommend doing it, I just have answered when asked about the dreaded valve adjustment, that I did not do any real service, never checked the valves, never flushed the brakes or clutch, never even washed bike #1. These were never recommendations, they were facts. Doesn’t mean it didn’t need it or won’t run better if it was done, just that I never bothered and never had an issue. There are lots of reasons to follow maintenance schedules and not doing so involve some risk. Some people chose to take risks, others want to flick on their hazards ( gen 2 only of course) and ride slowly in the breakdown lane when they over ride their oil change interval schedule by 50 miles. Most people fall in between and try to follow a sensible routine to service their machines. How long do you plan to keep your bike? Do you expect to get a high trade in value? Do you worry you will void the warranty? Do you do your own maintenance or have the dealer do it? If it makes you comfortable, check your spokes every gas stop.

I wonder what the costs to do all the factory recommended service procedures over the 300,000 miles I accumulated in 6 years on my two Teneres at a dealer would have actually cost me considering my dealer gets $130 per hour. $40,000?

I’m busy riding, but I’m sure someone can figure it out for us.

I have limited time and funds. I took a risk and skipped a lot of service recommendations. I ride them hard and hardly put them away, but when I do, I put them away wet.
 

~TABASCO~

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Paul,

Thanks so much for your post. I think you do a fantastic job out there. Keep up the wonderful work you do and stay safe with all those miles!
It’s the old saying ‘don’t believe everything you read on the internet'. Your a rock star! Lol
I’ve had dozens of people tell me this and that and all kinds of stories about ‘your story’, really nice to hear it from you. I’ll go back correct my post to be more accurate.
With all the work I do on this particular bike, I always try and help guide the community in the right direction from things I’ve seen and learned from working on hundreds of these Super Tenere's. There is some miss communication somewhere out on the internet from people reading that they think you are telling them there is no need to do “ X Y or Z”
Any who, the internet is full of crap. LOL. All lies. LOL.

Stay real safe, keep up the great work you do!

Thank you once again !!
 
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Longhaulpaul

Any Day You Can Ride is a Good Day!
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Paul,

Thanks so much for your post. I think you do a fantastic job out there. Keep up the wonderful work you do and stay safe with all those miles!
It’s the old saying ‘don’t believe everything you read’. Your a rock star! Lol
I’ve had dozens of people tell me this and that and all kinds of stories about ‘your story’, really nice to hear it from you. I’ll go back correct my post to be more accurate.
With all the work I do on this particular bike I always try and help guide the community in the right direction from things I’ve seen and learned. There is some miss communication somewhere out on the net people are reading that they think you are telling them there is no need to do “ X Y or Z”
Any who, the internet is full of crap. LOL. All lies. LOL.

Stay real safe, keep up the great work you do!

Thank you once again !!
All good.
If you want to help start a rumor, don’t you think Yamaha should find some guy known to beat his bikes to snot, to be the USA long distance test pilot to show the durability and long distance touring capabilities of the T7 a year before it’s available here?
 

bigbob

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All good.
If you want to help start a rumor, don’t you think Yamaha should find some guy known to beat his bikes to snot, to be the USA long distance test pilot to show the durability and long distance touring capabilities of the T7 a year before it’s available here?
NO. Keep testing the 1800 engine!
 

~TABASCO~

RIDE ON ADV is what I do !
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All good.
If you want to help start a rumor, don’t you think Yamaha should find some guy known to beat his bikes to snot, to be the USA long distance test pilot to show the durability and long distance touring capabilities of the T7 a year before it’s available here?
Heck yea! When are you moving to Europe ? LOL

I would like once again say that I have great respect for you and what you are doing. I was clearly misinformed and in no way want to take anything away from the wonderful attention you are bringing to the for front. Please keep up the fantastic work, and stay super safe. I’m sure everyone around the world is rooting you on! I personally am!

Thank you once again!
 

GearheadGrrrl

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All good.
If you want to help start a rumor, don’t you think Yamaha should find some guy known to beat his bikes to snot, to be the USA long distance test pilot to show the durability and long distance touring capabilities of the T7 a year before it’s available here?
So your looking for something lighter than that 1800 cc. bagger?
 

Longhaulpaul

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So your looking for something lighter than that 1800 cc. bagger?
Love the bagger more that I thought I would.
Just always looking for the best exposure for my journey, and I know people have been itching to see/ ride/ buy the T7. I’d give it decent run in 12 months for sure.......
 

tntmo

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In the end, we're all going to make our own (informed or uninformed) decision on how we want to service OUR bike. If it belongs to you, put extra virgin olive oil in the crankcase and red line it for all I care. Skip all the scheduled maintenance and run the tires until the cords are showing.
Just don't try to sell it as a bike that was babied, ridden to church on Sunday and was well maintained after you're through with it! I buy used bikes 99% of the time, so don't blow smoke up my ass about how it was taken care of and you can do what you want with it. I like the way Paul does it, ride it until it's ready to be on display at a museum. I rode my last bike (Triumph Tiger 955i) until it had 99,999 and sold it to a buddy cheap because I said it had low miles. Five figures is low miles! I plan to put more miles on the Yamaha.
 
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